New Onboard Hull Cleaning Solution Launched

HullWiper Ltd’s eco-friendly hull cleaning technology is now available as a flexible onboard solution that allows all types of vessels to clean hull fouling on demand.

The onboard version of the diver- and brush-free remotely operated vehicle (ROV) gives vessels on a tight schedule the means to perform a partial or full hull clean on a planned rotation, as and when needed. Cruise ships and super yachts can clean at every stop without interruption to their timetables or inconvenience to passengers.

The onboard solution, which was introduced at this year’s Navalia International Shipbuilding Exhibition in Spain, can be included in the design phase of newbuilds and allocated to a specific space either on deck, a door on the side of a vessel, or using a moon pool.

Safe and easy to operate, HullWiper provides onsite training at their HullWiper Training Center in Dubai, followed by onboard training at the convenience of the operator, to ensure best practice and care. With round-the-clock support and a technical team on standby to reach any vessel, HullWiper is the answer for flexible performance management.

Like its in-port predecessor, the on-board ROV uses adjustable seawater jets as the cleaning medium, instead of brushes or abrasives, minimizing the risk of damage to expensive anti-fouling coatings. Owners and operators who use HullWiper benefit from optimal performance and energy efficiency savings, whilst avoiding the expense of re-coating in case of damage.  

No divers are used, so there is no risk to human life and cleaning can be conducted day or night, in most weather conditions, and whilst cargo operations are underway.

Unlike traditional methods which discharge removed residues and harmful materials into the sea, HullWiper collects them with a unique onboard filter which drastically cuts the risk of contamination of waters by alien species.

With maritime regulations and rules governing hull cleaning getting tighter, HullWiper offers a compliant solution for owners and operators seeking the benefits of a clean hull including lower carbon emissions.

“The need for owners and operators to proactively manage marine fouling on their vessels, and prove that they have a cleaning management plan in place, can be the difference between being allowed into a port and being turned away,” says Simon Doran, HullWiper’s Managing Director. “Leasing a ROV and keeping it onboard means they can clean whenever they want.”

The cleaning unit has permission to work in many locations and countries around the world. HullWiper also offers assistance in obtaining permission from any port seeking to check the cleaning process and result.

HullWiper’s General Manager Laurance Langdon, adds: “Cleaning in international waters with the HullWiper is not a problem. Vessels can also clean in port, during loading and unloading and in most weather conditions, eliminating the need for unnecessary downtime.”

Launched in Dubai in December 2013, HullWiper now operates in ports in Sweden, Singapore, Spain, Netherlands, Norway, Egypt, United Arab Emirates and - on an ad hoc basis - at key locations across the Middle East.